Washing and rinsing machine for fibrous materials.



PATBNTED AUG. 6, 190'7.

P. BERNHARD'I'. WASHING AND RINSINGMACHINE FOR PIBROUS MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4, 1905.

3 SHBETS--SHEET 1.

No. 862,233. PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

' F. BERNHARDT.

WASHING'AND RINSING MACHINE FOR FIBROUS MATERIALS.

' APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 4. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN1/@n 7^ PATBNTBD AUG. e, i907.

' asuma-SHEET P. BBRNHARDT. WASHING AND RINSING MACHINE FOR FIBRUSMATERIALS..

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 4, 1905,

THE NoRms PETERS cn tank itself.

UNITED STATES FRIEDRICH BERNHARDT, OF LEISNIG, GERMANY.

WASHING AND RINSING- MACHINE FOR FIBROUS MATERIALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application filed J'anuary 4, 1905. Serial No. 239,653.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I," FRIEDRICH BERNHARDT, of the city of Leisnig andEmpire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWashing and Rinsing Machines for Fibrous Materials; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention,- such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

According to my invention a number of rows of powerful continuousliquid-jets are employed, while the fibrous material is conveyedthroughthe machine by a system of rakes. In this invention the materialis treated on plates lying in the liquor, so that the dirt dissolved isreadily removed, these plates however, being located at but a slightdepth below the surface of the bath, where the jet-pipes are disposed,so that the action of the jets on the material is vigorous. Since thewhole of the material under treatment is thus exposed to the continuousaction of the jets, and since, moreover escape of the fibers and descentinto the bath, is prevented by the plates, the fibers are welldistributed over the surface and thoroughly cleansed. The duration ofplay of the jets and thus their action, on the material, can beprolonged, or intensified, by employing plates presenting corrugations,ridges, projections, or the like. Between each two adjacent platesperforated troughs, of wellknown description, are provided, into whichthe material, after treatment on the plates, are further acted upon bythe jets, whereby the dirt which has been dissolved is prevented fromsettling in the fibers. Y

For the purpose of conveying the materialfrom the one plate to the next,a rake mechanism having turning prongs is employed, the points of whichfollow a path which is a closed curve, corresponding to the dip of thetroughs, whereby regular advance of the material through the machine isinsured.

The jets of liquor, the number of which corresponds to the number ofplates employed, work with great rapidity and may be directed either bypressure from a reservoir located above, or by a pump or like liquidraising apparatus.

For the purpose of economizing the detergents and water employed, only acertain quantity of fresh liquor is supplied, a number of the jets beingfed from the In this manner the supply of fresh liquor can be reducedwithout the capacity of the machine being affected, since the liquor inthe tank, which has been used before is pumped to the first series ofjets and used over again.

The. essential features of the invention are as follows: The cleansingof the material while lying in but a small depth of liquor, by means ofthe distributing action of powerful jets of liquid, the material lyingon plates of any desirable cross-section located in the scouringorrinsingtank. The combination with the plates of sieved orperforated-bottomed troughs, intowhich the fibrous material passes afterbeing washed or rinsed; the employment of rakes, which uniformly andeffectively advance the material from one plate to another. In thismanner, active, thorough, and eX- ceedingly efficient washing scouringor rinsing of the material is effected.

'The machine may be employed for the most various classes of material,such as wool, cotton, noils, combings, threads etc.,` likewise for ragsand similar materials and fibers employed in paper-making and otherindustries; and in view of the extremely high capacity, very littlespace is necessary as compared with other machines serving a similarpurpose.

One form of construction of the new machine is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical section, Fig. 2 aplan, and Fig. 3 a cross-section of the machine. Fig. 4 9 arecrosssections illustrating various forms of plates and troughs which maybe employed to receive the material. Figs. l() and l1 are, respectively,an end elevation and plan view, illustrating the driving mechanism ofthe washing and rinsing machine generally and that of the conveying rakeparticularly.

The cistern or tank 1 for holding the scouring-liquor, wash, orrinsing-water, is provided with a false-bottom or partition 2, of suchconstruction that it presents a number of washing-plates, tables orsurfaces (in the present case seven) 3, and alternating therewith,perforated troughs 4. The material being treated is conducted over thesesurfaces 3, 4, and on the former is played upon directly by powerfuljets of the scouringagent or water, by means of the pipes 5-11 insuccession, while the dirt which has been dissolved or washed out, fallsthrough the perforations in the troughs 4 and sinks to the bottom of thetank l. At the end of the machine the material with the superfluousfluid, passes over the edge of the tank to a pair of squeezers orpressing-rollers. The first pipes 5-8 are fed by means of a centrifugalpump 12, from the tank l while the pipes 9-11 are fed with fresh liquor.

The velocity of flow of the jets, and the height of the scouring-agentor wash above the false-bottom 2, vmust be adapted to the nature of thematerial to be dealt with. In the case of close material such as rags,threads, cotton etc., strong jets and a slight depth of liquor above theplates will be employed; whereas in the case of material, such as sheepswool, which requires careful handling, the jets must naturally not betoo powerful and the height of the wash above the false-bottom 2 must beample.

The material is conveyed from plate to plate by means of a rake device13, with turning prongs 14. This rake is carried by two crank-shafts l5,which on i ai their rotation impart to it a rotary motion. In additionto this latter motion the prongs 14 receive a reciprocating motion bymeans of an eccentric l'mounted on one of the crank-shafts 15 and theroller lever 17 and coperating levers 18, 19, 20 and connecting-rod 21.These two motions being imparted simultaneously, the prongs 14 describea closed, more or less oval curve, the lower part of which follows thebend or dip of the troughs 4, so that removal of the whole of thematerial from the latter is insured.

The washing and rinsing machine is driven from the press. A pulley 23,being mounted on the lower pressing roller 22, works upon a pulley 24 bymeans of a belt, the former being irmly attached to a gear wheel 25.This gear wheel 25 drives another gear wheel 26, which is mounted on acrank shaft 15. A second crank shaft 15 is operated by the first one bymeans of a chain 27 and two chain wheels 29. The crank shafts 15 work insuitable bearings and support by means ol the bearings 30, the rods 13to which the bearings 31 or the movable conveying prongs 14 areattached. Each oi these prongs bears in its middle a lever 2O Vand theselevers are connected to each other by the rod 32 and bolt 33.

One oi the prongs 14 bears at one end a lever 19, which is connected, bymeans ofthe rod 21 and bolt 34, with the lever 18. This lever 18 ishrmly fastened, together with lever 17, on a shalt 36, rotating in thebearing 35. Lever 17 bears on its fore-end a roller 37 This roller isoperated by an eccentric 16, lthat is attached to the one end oi thecrank shait 15 a spring 37/ keeps the roller in contact with theeccentric.

The washing-and rinsing plates may be of any desired cross-section,depending upon the nature oi the material. The section shown in Fig. 4is especially adapted for extra long material, that shown in Figs. 5 and8 for very short material, whereas the sections shown in Figs. 6, 7 and9 may be employed for material, such as rags etc., which requireenergetic treatment.

It must be understood that I do not in any way limit myself to theprecise construction of apparatus shown in the drawings, as the machineadmits oi great variation in point of detail 5 in particular, themethods oi arranging and feeding the jets and the system of constructingand operating the rake-mechanism may be greatly modified.

It will be further understood that any number of these machines may beemployed in continuous succession, ior instance when washing, scouringand rinsing is carried on in three separate tanks.

l. A machine for washing, scouring and rinsing iibrous materials,comprising a tank having at the upper part a falsebottom presentinglalternating tables and perforated troughs, a system of liquid-jet pipesdirected upon said bottom and a rake-mechanism located above thefalse-bottom, and means for actuating the rake-mechanism, substantiallyas described.

2. A machine for washing, scouring and rinsing fibrous materials,comprising a tank having atthe upper part a false-bottom presentingalternating tables and perforated troughs, a system of jet-pipesdirected upon the tables and rake-meehanism located above thefalse-bottom, means for imparting a circular motion to therake-mechanism, and means for impartinga recprocatory motion to thelatter, substantially as described.

A machine of the class described comprising a tank having at the upperpart a false bottom presenting alternating tables and perforatedtroughs, a system ot' jet pipes directed upon the tables, rake mechanismlocated above the false bottom and means for imparting a circularmotion4 to the rake mechanism, substantially as described.

4. A machine for washing, scouring, and rinsing iibrous materials,comprising a tank having at the upper part a false-bottom presentingalternating tables and troughs, a system of jet-pipes directed upon thetables and a rakemechanisrn located above the false-bottom crank-shaftscarrying the rake-mechanism an eccentric on one otv the crank-shafts,and lever-mechanism operated by the eccen tric for imparting areciprocatory motion to the rakemeclianism, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FRIEDRICH BERNHARDT.

Witnesses z JOHANN Girone BERNHARDT, RUnoLru FnIcKE.

